Apparatus for molding concrete building-blocks.



No. 762,194: PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

W. PORTEN.

. APPARATUS FOR MOLDING CONCRETE BUILDING BLOCKS. APPLIOAIION FILED NOV.9, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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H/TNEJJEJ m 1 2/7701? Mum/1 FORTE/7' PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904.

W- PORTEN. APPARATUS FOR MOLDING CONCRETE BUILDING BLOCKS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 9.1903.

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N/LL/fi FORTE/Y BYW Mam-Tongan r PATENTED JUNE "7, 1904.

W. PORTEN. APPARATUS FOR MOLD ING CONCRETE BUILDING BLOCKS.-

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 9. 1903.

NO MODEL.

No. 762,194. v PATENTBDJU'NB'Z, 1904.

' W. PORTEN.

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING CONCRETE BUILDING BLOGKS.

Arrmoumn FILED NOV. 9, 1903.

N0- MODEL.

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Patented June 7, 1904:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM PORTEN, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO BUILDING BLOCKMANUFACTURING (30., A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING CONCRETE BUILDING-BLOCKS.

SPECIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,194, dated June '7,1904-.

Application filed November 9, 1903. Serial No. 130,353. fiNo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM PORTEN, of St. Paul, Ramsey county, Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forMolding Concrete Building- Blocks, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a molding apparatus designed particularly foruse with the liquid process of molding building-blocks, though equallyadapted for the so called dry process.

The object of the invention is to provide a mold having cores andcollapsible walls, and into which mold the material in a liquid form ispoured and allowed to become thoroughly dry and hard or set beforeremoval.

A further object is to provide a molding apparatus which after theoperation of molding is completed can be easily and quickly taken up andset away in vertical rows, if desired, to allow the blocks to dry.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan View of a block-molding apparatus embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 1 y of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line:20 m of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 2 .2 of Fig. 1.Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing the manner of removing thecores and the side walls of the mold. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional viewshowing the manner of locking the side walls in their upright position.Fig. 8 is a vertical section showing a modified means for locking thecores in place on the moldingplatform. Fig. 9 isv a similar view takenon a section-line substantially at right angles to the section-line ofFig. 8. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the core. Fig. 11 is a horizontalsection on the line m m of Fig. 8. Fig. 12 is a vertical sectionshowinga modified means for retaining the cores in place on themoldingplatform. Fig. 13 is a similar view taken on a section-linesubstantially at right angles to the section-line of Fig. 12.

In the drawings, 2 represents horizontal parallel timbers whercon themolding apparatus is supported.

3 represents cross-bars resting upon the timbers 2 and projecting outbeyond the same and the sides of the mold proper, as shown in Fig. 1.

4: is a horizontal molding platform or floor secured to the cross-bars 3by any suitable means and provided with slots 5, arranged in transverserows at uniform intervals and adapted to receive rectangularlocking-links composed of sections 6 and 7, that are carried by cores 8.These cores are preferably of cast metal, tapered slightly from the toptoward the bottom and provided with holes 9 and 10 in their upper andlower ends to receive the links 6, which are thrust therethrough. Thesections 7 of the links are then secured to the sections 6, anddisengagement of the links from the cores is thereby prevented. Thelinks are considerably longer than the cores, and hence drop downthrough the molding-platform and depend sufficiently below the same toreceive locking-bars 11, that are thrust through the links at one sideof the platform and serve to lock the cores firmly in place thereon. Thebars are, however, readily removable to allow the links to slide to thelimit of their upward movement, where their upper ends will form handlesfor the operator to grip for the purpose of removing the cores from themolds. The tops of the cores are preferably provided with slightdepressions 12, into which the upper ends of the links drop, where theyare substantially on a level with the upper ends of the cores andpartially concealed when the apparatus is ready for molding.

The platform is provided on each side with longitudinally-arranged sidewalls 13, having strengthening-plates 14 on their upper edges andtransversely-arranged straps 15 at intervals, the lower ends of saidstraps being outwardly turned to form hooks 16 to enter recesses 17 insaid platform. These recesses upright position and prevent theiraccidental disengagement from the platform. The recesses 17 are ofsufiicient size, however, to allow the disengagement of the hooks 16from the plates 18 when the side walls are tilted outwardly to aposition substantially as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Fixed cores 19 areprovided on the side walls 13 opposite the rows of cores and haveshoulders 20 near their upper ends, which cause the formation of ledgesin the upper ends of the recesses formed in the ends of the blocks bysaid side-wall cores, said ledges facilitating the handling of theblocks during the operation of building a wall. The

walls 13 also have vertical mortises 21 to re ceive the ends ofpartition-walls 22, that are arranged transversely on themolding-platform between the rows of cores thereon and provided on theirupper edges with flat plates 23, that extend beyond the ends of saidpartition-walls over said side walls and have hooks 24. that engage theupper edges of said side walls to lock them and said partition-wallstogether. These overhanging or projecting hooked ends have sufficientspring to allow the side walls to be pushed into their upright position,when the hooks 24 will snap down over the edges of the side walls andlock them in place.

In Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11 I have shown a modified means for securing thecores in place on the molding-platform. This means consists in a pin 25,passing through the top of the core and through a slot 26 in the bottomthereof and having a laterally-turned end 27 to enter a recess 28 in thebottom of the platform through a slot 29 in a plate 30. A ring 31 isprovided on the upper end of the pin 25, and after its lower end hasbeen thrust through the slot 29 the operator will give this pin aquarter-turn, thereby causing the end 27 to slip under the plate 30 andlock the core on the platform.

In Figs. 12 and 13 I have shown still another modification in a meansfor holding the cores in place on the platform, which consists inproviding holes 32 in the platform, adapted to receive pins 33 on thelower ends of the cores. A depression 34 is provided in the top of thecore, and extending across the same is a bar 35, that is engaged by ahook or other suitable tool in the hand of the operator when it isdesired to remove a core from the mold. 36 is a chain that is loopedaround the cross-bars 3 on both sides of the molding apparatus and isprovided with a ring 37, to which a carrier chain-hook 38 is connected.

I have not thought it necessary in this application to show an overheadtrack and carrier, as the same forms no part of my invention. It will beunderstood, however, that such a carrier may be arranged above themolding apparatus and that as soon as the molds are filled the carriercan be operated to pick up the apparatus and convey it to some pointwhere the blocks are allowed to dry and harden.

The manner of using my improved molding apparatusis as follows: The sideand partition walls are first setup and secured together. The cores arethen put in place on the platform, and if the locking means shown inFig. 2 is employed the links are allowed to drop down through the slots15 until their lower ends project sufficiently below the platform toenable the locking-bars 11 to be slipped into place between them to holdthe cores firmly in place during the molding operation. I/Vhen theapparatus is ready for molding, the operator will pour the material in aliquid form into the molds, which may be done by means of pails orsuitable buckets supported on a carrier. The operator will then, bymeans of the chain 36 and a carrier, transport the platform and blocksto a suitable place in the yard to dry.

With an apparatus of this kind it is evident that a-large number ofblocks can be molded in a comparatively short space of time and that ayard equipped with a number of molding-platforms and asufiicient numberof side and partition walls and cores can mold a larger number ofbuilding-blocks without lifting or handling them in any way and in amuch shorter space of'time than is usually required to manufacture suchblocks with the machines in general use.

I claim as my invention 1. An apparatus for molding buildingblocks,comprising a platform, cores tapered from the top toward the bottomarranged thereon independently of each other in rows at uniformintervals and having depressions at their upper ends provided withhook-engaging means, means preventing lateral movement of said cores onsaid platform, side walls mounted on said platform, partition-wallsarranged between the rows of cores, and means for temporarily securingsaid side and partition walls together.

2. An apparatus for molding coneretebuilding-blocks, comprising aplatform, cores arranged in rows thereon, means for preventing lateralmovement of said cores on said platform, side walls arranged on saidplatform and partition-walls provided on said platform between the rowsof cores and spring fastening devices provided on said partition-wallsand arranged to engage the upper edges of said side walls to temporarilysecure said side and partition walls together.

3. An apparatus for molding concrete building-blocks, comprising aplatform having rows of slots therein, cores arranged to rest upon saidplatform over said slots, links carried by said cores and having lowerends adapted to enter said slots and project therethrough below saidplatform, means engaging said links to lock the rows of cores, sidewalls provided on said platform, partition-walls arranged between therows of cores, and means for securing said side and partition wallstogether.

4. An apparatus for molding concrete building-blocks, comprising aplatform having a series of slots therein, cores arranged on saidplatform over said slots, links carried by said cores and having lowerends adapted to enter said slots and project below the same, barsprovided below said platform and fitting into the lower ends of the rowsof links and preventing the accidental disengagement of the same fromsaid slots, side walls provided on said platform, partition-wallsseparating the rows of cores, and means for locking said side andpartition Walls together.

5. An apparatus for molding concrete building-blocks by a so-called wetprocess comprising a platform,movable cores supported thereon in rowsand means preventing their lateral movement, partition-walls arrangedbetween the rows of cores and dividing said platform into a series ofindividual molds, side walls connecting the ends of said partition-wallsand means for temporarily securing them together, and end cores havingshoulders intermediate to their ends and arranged opposite the ends ofthe rows of movable cores.

6. An apparatus for molding concrete building-blocks by a so-called wetprocess comprisin g a platform,movable cores supported thereon in rowsand means preventing their lateral movement, partition-walls arrangedbetween the rows of cores and dividing said platform into a series ofindividual molds, side walls connecting the ends of said partition-wallsand means for temporarily securing them together, and end cores oppositethe ends of the rows of movable cores and being of less depth at the topthan at the bottom and having an intermediate shoulder, for the purposespecified.

7. An apparatus for molding buildingblocks by a so-called wet process,comprising a platform, cores tapered from the top toward the bottomarranged on said platform in rows at uniform intervals, partition-wallsarranged between the rows of cores and dividing said platform into aseries of independent molds, side walls connecting the ends of saidpartition-walls, means for temporarily securing said side and partitionwalls together, and cores having shoulders intermediate to their endsprovided on said side walls opposite the ends of the rows of movablecores.

8. In a mold for building-blocks, a core and a link carried thereby, incombination with a platform having a slot to receive said link, andsecuring means for said link.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of October,A. D. 1903.

VILLIAM PORTEN.

In presence of RICHARD PAUL, M. HAGERTY.

